I was stabbed

in the foot last night, by a lego sword. Strange because my kids are grown and my granddaughter hasn’t been over since the last day off from school. But there I sat in the middle of the spare room balancing on one foot and pulling a lego sword out of the bottom of  my other foot. It hurts like a sum bitch this morning and I dread putting a shoe on. .

Makes you yearn for the new wave of Christmas toys, doesn’t it? there was a reason “Santa” always gave me a new pair of slippers for Christmas. Those toys hurt when your foot finds them (usually in the dark).

I am already thinking Christmas. (may I rot in hell for it). Yesterday I sat watching Mom nap and said to myself “you know, if I had my Christmas cards  up here I could address and sign them.”and I might. Not because I’ve got a stiffy for Christmas (I do) but because I can put more time into it and send a personal message with each one.

I get up on Monday and live the same day over and over until Friday. Then Clark taps in and takes over Sat. and Sun. Super Shirley recovered from the last illness in a remarkable way. She’s mostly coherent, it ebbs and flows. She’s eating, drinking,even walking. That’s right, Super Shirley is walking. Every day at 2:15 pm I push Mom and her walker down to therapy and she walks down the hall to the dining room. Her record is 150 ft. then she poops out. Her paid for therapy is done but the therapist still meets us for those 5 minutes. Today I may need that walker. My poor innocent foot, sabotaged by a tiny plastic sword. Which made me think of Christmas. I’m going all out this year, anything deckable will be decked out. I bought a new tree this summer. I was only allowed to if I liberated a tree but since there were no exchange terms, I liberated a tiny tree to adopt a much bigger tree. I’ve also got a couple new Nativities. I collect them.

Christmas wasn’t always a blast in my house growing up. Holidays made Mom a bit fruit cakey. But when I was alone in the living room I’d lie in the dark by the tree. I’d turn on the Hi-Fi and listen to Christmas music on WEZO (101.3 on your AM dial) and just lie there on the carpet looking at my little Nativity scene sparkle and shine by the lights on the tree. To me it was Heaven.

I need to plan for Christmas. I need my good memories. I need to feel like I’m moving forward instead of running in place with no place to go.  Otherwise the mind numbing sameness of my weekdays will make me go bell tower. Not in a shooty way, more in a mood way. I need control and I’m going to go Christmas all over the place to get it. I will drape every bell, deck every hall, and keep myself sane.

My name is Tia, I am a professional daughter, my Mother is a super hero and my enemy is a tiny lego sword.

My holiday gift to all you young parents: always make sure Santa gives you a new pair of slippers. Them legos are wily creatures. Merry Christmas!